War of Ages
by Navana
Summary: Many years from now, a war will arise from anger and hate. Countries and continents will turn against each other and the world will fall into chaos. Eventually, we will resort to older, stornger, and more destructive weapons, neucular bombs.
1. Demons

War of Ages

Many years from now a war will arise from anger and hate. Countries and continents will turn against each other and the world will fall into chaos. Eventually, we will begin to resort to older, stronger and more destructive weapons, nuclear bombs. The world today is the result of that war. Civilization must learn, many generations later, to learn to trust one another to rebuild our world.

Chapter 1:  
Demons

Nothing. I hope it's nothing. The constant pain, sharp on my shoulder. My eyes opened as if I was reborn. Glittering walls of crystals rose around me and beautiful stone cave walls surrounded me.

All of a sudden, the moment was broken by a piercing shriek. I turned my head to see what was behind me. It was a giant beast! Looking around, I saw that the shriek had come from a woman lying on the ground just a few feet away. Finally, I noticed that my shoulder and my shirt were covered in blood. My memory was fuzzy on what had happened. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing here?

Suddenly I was scooped up by the creature and taken away. The burley scaled beast leaned over me with a warm look about it. With a snout that narrowed to almost a point with sharp teeth extending from the closed mouth. It seems familiar. What is this thing and why is it carrying me? Where are we going?

Back to base, of course. The words came to mind as if someone was talking to me. Are you all right? Your shoulder got trashed. Oddly, the creature looked down at me gingerly. Don't you remember me?

"What? Who's there?" I exclaimed in surprise.

It's me. Calm down. I won't hurt you. To my surprise the creature seemed to understand me. Looks like you were hurt worse than I thought. Hold on tight. Here we go! Looking up to see what was going on, I saw that we were going to run into a wall!

"Are you crazy! Stop! What are you doing?" I franticly hollered as I flailed about.

Quiet! Do you want them to hear you? You must not remember that a pressure switch opens the base. I also scans for retinal patterns and your DNA. Only you and I can open it. You invented it, you know. All of a sudden we rammed into the rock face of a cliff. Following the loud thud of the weight against it, the stone began to hiss and clank. Finally a small metal room opened and a small opening in the wall revealed a panel with a binocular-like interment protruding the sleek metal face. The creature bent over, placed its eyes into the appropriate spots. Suddenly, the panel flashed a green light and a door on the other side of the room opened with the same gear-like noise. Surprisingly, we were greeted by at least a dozen men and women.

"Welcome back, Captain," welcomed one. "You too, Moro," nodding to the creature. Tenderly, the creature, Moro, stood me up. Glowing computer monitors surrounded a main center with chairs scattered about. To my surprise, the men and women lined up and began calling names out one by one.

"Squad leader, Red Hawk, reporting," began one woman as she stepped forward.

"Premises surveillance, Blue Fox, reporting," inserted an Asian man as he too stepped forward.

"First aid, Silver Falcon, reporting." The list continued for another two minutes. Finally, the last one was called.

"Heavy weaponry, Brown Bear, reporting." After the man had stepped forward all the eyes in the room turned to Moro.

Special operations, White Fox, reporting. Following the others, she stepped forward. Now, everyone turned to me. Many thoughts rushed through my head.

"Commander, White Dove, reporting." I recalled. "Operations, dismissed." I didn't know what came over me. It all felt so familiar. As everyone went back to their routine, my head began to swim. Against the wall, I felt myself sliding slowly as my eyes closed and everything went black…

* * *

As I regained consciousness, my eyes slowly opened and I was almost blinded by a bright light. Slowly, my eyes adjusted to the intensity of the beam. "I see you are awake, Dakarri," announced a voice from beyond my vision.

"What?" I replied confused.

"You were injured pretty badly this time around, Commander," continued the voice.

"Right. Could you explain this to me?" I sheepishly inserted, still vary confused.

"What do you mean? Oh, yes, I almost forgot. A toxin was detected in your system. That would explain it," she began to trail off as if I couldn't understand her or I wasn't even there.

"So, let me get this straight, I'm drugged," I tried to draw her attention to me. The light switched off and a familiar face bent over me.

"Bingo. Right as always," she complemented. "The test results just came through on the network. It says that the drug is a new one. The components show, however, that it would induce a faint case of amnesia," she informed me. Then, I realized what was happening. My name is Dakarri Danes Wills. My town was taken from me. I will fight to take it back from the Khons. My family was taken from me. I will avenge their deaths. I had said these exact words to my fellow citizens when we were finally forced to leave the Boneyard.

"Dakarri? Commander?" the voice called me back to reality.

"What? I'm sorry."

"I pulled the bullet out of your right shoulder. Hopefully, we can find the make and pinpoint the attacker. You'll be able to start helping out around here again in a week or-"

"I have to go," I stated, cutting her off.

"No, you have to stay and rest, Dakarri," she demanded.

"I started this fight, I have to help." At that I got up and grabbed my jacket from the table. Looking back at Silver Falcon one more time, I left the infirmary.

* * *

Metallic plated walls lead down a labyrinth of hallways in the end was a small door with a keypad next to it. Warily, I approached the two paneled door, a sign next to the door read "Commander Wills." Five buttons extended from the dark metal face of the wall console. Almost shaking from the strain from my shoulder, I reached out and pressed the single button on the bottom. Reacting quickly, the door opened to a lightly decorated room with a few pieces of clothing scattered on the floor. It had been a hasty packing when I left the city. Through the tears and the pain of seeing my family killed before my eyes in a display of order, I managed to grab the few things close to my heart and headed for the vault just outside of town.

Quickly, I headed to my bead along the left wall. At the head of it was a photo in a slightly cracked frame. Four people gathered around a young girl, only fourteen years old. Her brown hair was pulled back and a smile was proudly worn, it was her fifteenth birthday party. Although her birthday wasn't for three more days, it was a sunny day and all the commerce in town had been stopped for Independence Day. That was one of the happiest days of my life. My family was happy then, free from all worries of attack. Florence, Danshel, Romero or "Rom", and me, all a little less than one and a half years ago. Danshel, the mayor of the Boneyard and Florence, the daughter of a merchant were my parents. Rom was my older brother by eight years, helping dad in business. The corner of the photo read:

Happy Birthday, Karri!  
Love,  
Mom, Dad, and Rom.

The mirror next to the photo was in pristine condition and as if to try to reconcile myself I looked into it with trusting brown eyes. My brunette hair framed my tan face and flowed down on to my camouflage jacket and black shirt. The wear and tear of living in these pressed circumstances was showing. Although I was much younger in the picture, I was an extremely different person. No longer a girl, but a young woman trying to avenge her family. Suddenly my mind was pulled from my reminiscing and into a rage when I recounted the past few events. Klain was waiting for my move.

* * *

As I entered the bustling operations room, the team stood and greeted me. Blue Fox, who's real name is Jacob, stepped forward to welcome me. After his third strong and purposeful step, a siren sounded and the red warning lights began to flash.

"Captain, we're under attack!" informed an operator beside me over the siren.

"Special ops team report to briefing room," I announced over the base wide intercom.

* * *

Once I reached the briefing room, the whole team was there. The whole special operations team was gathered around the large map of the base. Red Hawk was in the center briefing the team on the mission ahead.

"We are surrounded. Don't use exits 1, 4 or 8. Go suit up and wait for my signal," Red Hawk prepared them for the battle all around us. Slowly, I walked over to her. "Captain, I thought… never mind."

"No, go on," I encouraged.

"It's just that I thought that you were going to be in the infirmary resting. At least that's what Silina said." Silina's code name was Silver hawk.

"Well, here I am. Looks like I'm going after all," I mentioned as I headed for the weapon storage area to suit up.

* * *

After we had gotten our gear on and quickly went over our objectives, we hurried over to the exit. Silence swept over us as we opened the hatch. Our opponents had disappeared like banshees. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a bush move.

"Enemy at 4 o'clock!" I hollered. As the words rolled off my tongue, a squad of infantry ambushed our group unexpectedly. Reacting to the situation, my troops entered a defensive formation to hold off the attack from the base. Thoroughly, I searched the faces for their leader, Klain. Silently, I crept away from my group to search further. Just as I realized that I had wandered almost too far, I felt something hit me in the back. Helplessly, I fell to the ground, paralyzed. Klain bent over me observantly.

"This is the one. Put a blind fold on her and follow me," demanded the vicious raider leader. Following orders, the solder put a cloth over my face and grabbed my arms to hold me hostage as he followed Klain to an unknown destination. Finally, I regained use of my legs and began to kick. Instead of hitting me, the footman rummaged through his pack. Surprisingly, I felt the prick of a needle on my shoulder and slowly, I fell asleep.

* * *

Slowly, my senses returned to me. Odors of decay and other revolting scents filled my nostrils. Cautiously, I opened my eyes. Darkness surrounded me. At that moment I realized that I was bound to a chair. Heavy metal cuffs clamped my hands together and my legs were chained to the legs of the cold metal chair. Cool air blew through the loose flaps of the raider camp tent. Unexpectedly, a light blinked on. Klain's familiar and devious-looking face entered the circle of dim light that the newly lit lamp created.

"Well Dakarri, long time no see," he mocked.

"I'm glad," I bluntly remarked.

"Let's see… I believe that the last time I saw you was… Oh yes… You were wreaking havoc on my weapons depot,"

"You're smarter than you look, but not by much," I continued.

"And I'd like to thank you for leading me to your base."

"What?" I exclaimed.

"The bullet that my assassin is sitting in your medical bay with your doctor, Silver Falcon. Her skills are greater than I expected from someone under your command. She detected the drug that the bullet injected into your blood stream. Too bad… that was my newest invention. I was going to let you test it for me. It's like a computer virus. It deletes all information and memories that you have. It's an incurable amnesia basically. However you got it out of your system before it took full effect. Darn," he informed me.

"Too bad."

"You aren't getting away that easily, White Dove. I need some information," he pushed.

"I'm not telling you anything," I hollered hoping someone would hear me.

"We'll see about that." From behind him I could hear another person approaching, a guard. "I'm tired of your games. Guard!" At his command, a large rugged man entered the small tent. He walked up to me and pulled out a syringe. After he pulled off the safety lid on the needle he shoved it into my shoulder directly onto my bullet wound. After that everything went fuzzy…

* * *

Dakarri, where are you… Dakarri?

"She's over here!" a voice rang out. Slowly, my eyes opened. Warm desert air blew through a long corridor. It was now daytime. I don't know how long I was asleep. Bars barricaded me inside the small room. Shadows ran along the walls. Finally, I realized that those shadows were my team. One by one they rounded the corner.

"Dakarri, are you all right?" questioned Red Hawk.

"I'm fine, I think," I responded.

"Keep away from this side, we're going to blast you out," she informed me. Suddenly, I saw Brown Bear, who's real name is Bryan. He reached into his pack and grabbed a small package. Carefully, he set up a plastic explosive on the bars of the small room.

"Here we go," he announced like a small boy going on a roller coaster. As the switch was pressed, I shielded my eyes as a large explosion ran through the hallway. Apparently, this had triggered some sort of alarm because a brigade of raiders came charging up from both sides. Using the newly made exit, I stepped out of the cell and grabbed my pistol from the shelf outside.

"Do we have more people here?" I wondered.

"All three squads from ground tactics are here and us. We sent them to-" She was cut off by a flying knife. Regretfully, I still had a large wound on my shoulder. Using my left hand, I began to fight. After many of their men were down, I followed my team to what looked like a control room. Quickly, we disposed of it. Leaving the smoking machinery behind, we continued on to find the leaders and win back our town.

After we searched many rooms and tents, we finally found the leaders of the group. Klain was sitting at a large, broken down table with many other members of his band. Silently, I crept over to the side of the tent that aligned with where he was standing. Holding up my gun I fired one shot through the thin fabric. Cautiously, I looked underneath the tent to see if I had hit my mark. I had. Finally, we had won.

In the end, we returned victorious to the base. Citizens of the Boneyard could finally return home. Although we had started weak, we came out strong. As for me, well, with a heavy heart I left town. I wanted to know more about the world, but I also had no choice. The mayor of the town said that I was too violent and a bad influence to the younger citizens. Many begged me to stay but I didn't want to cross the mayor. Now I am a wanderer, a nomad of the desert. Moro came with me however. You are the only one that understands me, she told me. To this day we search for a place to call home in this twisted world.


	2. A New Path

Chapter 2:   
A New Path   
  
The wasteland, so dry, so barren. If only I could find a shield from the burning sun. Condemned to live the life of a wonderer. I could only imagine.   
  
Dakarri? Dakarri? Are you there? Suddenly, Moro interrupted my thoughts. Recognizing the constant uncomforting feeling in my stomach from starving, I looked up to see my friend looking straight into my eyes. It had been two days since I had eaten anything. I was getting weaker, I could feel it.   
  
"What? Sorry Moro, I wasn't listening," I apologized to my friend. We had been traveling for two months since the battle for the Boneyard.   
  
It's all right. I think we're coming up on a town. I think it's only on the other side of this plateau. She informed me. If only we could find an easy way to get there. I knew what she was saying made sense; I could smell the food, and the people.   
  
"Let's hope that we find one soon, I'm starving." She almost looked like she could laugh, if a Deathclaw could. Our constant pursuit of a place to sleep and food to eat or warmth to keep us from freezing brought us even closer. The few things that I brought with me had mostly been used up by now. The food was getting to be nothing but stale crumbs and a few drops of good water. Most of my other items had been traded for safety or food. My two weapons, a spear and my pistol, which had run out of all but one bullet, were the only things that I would not trade.   
  
Carefully, we scanned the horizon for a way around it or through it. In the distance, I thought I saw what might have been a valley cut into the steep face. For all I knew, though, it could have been a mirage. After all, I was dehydrated, starving, and it was hot. "Hey, Moro, what's that?" I questioned, pointing out the spot.   
  
I think you found the easier way. She said with a brief smile. With a quick stop to adjust my pack, we set off to finally find food.   
  
***   
  
On our approach to the canyon, I examined the steep cliffs that surrounded me. Paintings. They're everywhere, observed Moro. The white and chalky figured decorated the rising stone. They looked almost extraterrestrial.   
  
"Do you have any idea who put these here or are you just as clueless as I am?"   
  
No clue. Whoever did it, or what, was really high up. Those are in the middle of the cliff! Shadowy coolness cloaked me as I ventured into the gorge. A strange feeling rushed through my dry and tense body. Something told me that this was not a good place to be.   
  
Suddenly, a rush of air behind me alerted me. A spear struck the ground directly behind me. Figures high above the basin of the canyon up on the bluffs stared down at Moro and me, spears in the air. Primitive clothing draped from their tanned bodies. Was that supposed to hit me or was that just a warning? I thought to myself as they seemed to gather into a larger group.   
  
This cannot be good, inserted Moro. Rustling from the dirt behind me said that there was another being behind me. Slowly, I reached for my holstered Desert Eagle pistol. Right before I reached the release of the strap restraining my gun, the point of a spear lightly touched the middle of my back. Out of reflex, my hands slowly rose into a surrendering position. We were trapped.   
  
"Why have you come here?" questioned and unidentifiable male voice from behind me. "You have intruded on our sacred grounds."   
  
"We didn't know," I assured him. "We were just looking for a way through to the other side."   
  
"Wait… Turn around." Although I was puzzled about why, I turned to face a rather elderly man with fading features. The dark skinned warrior levelly held the impressively carved spear directly at my throat. Gathering up every inch of bravery in me, I looked straight into his eyes and spoke.   
  
"What do you want with us?" I mentioned curiously.   
  
"You must have great power or a wonderful blessing to be able to control this beast," he said, ignoring my question.   
  
"I don't control her, just talk to her," I ignorantly corrected.   
  
"Well, I will take your word that you are not here to kill or enslave us. You look like you have been out in the harsh desert long. Come, I will help you, but only if you will help me in return," he proclaimed.   
  
"We will, if you first tell your guard to remove his spear from my throat."   
  
***   
  
After we all left the gorge, we were guided up the plateau to a small village. The tribals had apparently established this encampment many years previously. I the middle of the structures, there was a well-decorated tent, which was, more than likely, the elder's tent. As we entered the large gathering, many of the warriors faded off into miscellaneous tents. Only five stayed behind, one of whom was the sturdy man that was waving his spear at me. Eventually, we made it to the central tent.   
  
"You said you talk to her, how?" mentioned the elder as he invited me into the tent.   
  
"I really don't know. It just happens," I honestly replied as I walked through the leathery tent flaps. Genially, he signaled me have a seat on a pile of blankets.   
  
"Really? That is quite interesting," he replied taking a seat on the other side of the room on an almost identical pile.   
  
"I don't see why. So what is it that you want me to do? I don't want to get into anything until I know what it is."   
  
"Of course. I understand," he began. Before he spoke the next line, he sat on the ground, closed his eyes, and took a hand full of dirt and let it run through his fingers.   
  
What is he doing? I thought to myself, puzzled by the man's actions.   
  
As his eyes opened, he began to speak once more. "Over the years, our culture has searched for one person. He or she is proclaimed to bring salvation to the land. Many years ago, one of these such people saved us from a group called the Children. There have only been two ever to walk these barren lands. We need you to help us find this person. We know they're out there." Slowly, his eyes closed one more time and he once more took his place on the pile of blankets. He had been paying his respects.   
  
"How would I do that?"   
  
"Find others that you think would be suitable for a trial of strength, skill and agility. Also, we must ask you to find an item, the Garden of Eden Creation Kit or G.E.C.K. It is told to have the power to generate a paradise in the driest of wastelands and recreate the lost," informed the great leader.   
  
"Alright. What do I get in return? And how long do you think it'll take?" I inquired.   
  
"We will supply you with what ever you need of what we have. Any time. Also, it really depends on how long it takes you. I can't tell you much in the way of places that could have the kit so who knows how long."   
  
Do you think we can trust him? Intruded Moro, standing outside of the tent. I honestly didn't have and answer for her. I couldn't decide weather this was some sort of real life quest or just a well-established hoax. I could hardly tell the difference. Instead of arguing, because I didn't want them to kill me for denying them, I agreed.   
  
"That sounds good to me," I replied. "How hard could it be?"   
  
***   
  
After situating myself and resting, I collected Moro and we set out, fully supplied and ready. The first place we were to go was a town not too far away, The New California Republic, where all of the political business occurs for this reign. Once there, we were to meet up with a man that the elder, Kensaun, said would be waiting for us on the outskirts of town, because I couldn't bring Moro into the city.   
  
Still a few miles away from the town, something caught my eye. A glint of green tantalized my adrenaline-addicted mind. There was something there. With a small and yet deep craves behind us, Moro and I looked at each other as I reflexively removed my pistol from it's holster. With the same precision marksmanship that killed Klane, I turned around fired two shots before even looking at the creature. It was a giant praying mantis, another one of the pests of the wastes.   
  
They travel in groups, reminded Moro. It was true, the devious monsters were known for traveling in swarms that could range from five to thirty. From behind me, a few more of the mutants emerged from behind a medium sized rock formation. Apparently, they did not enjoy our company. With her lightening-fast reflexes, Moro jumped up onto two of them, being able to manage them with her size and her massive claws. Dropping my pack against a rock, I grabbed my spear and gripped my gun in the opposite hand.   
  
Bring it on! My mind raged with the familiar feeling of the heat of the battle. Every soul in the wasteland has felt it once or twice at least. One by one, we eliminated our opposition. In the end, the count was seventeen mutilated and squished green, bloody, corpses. "How pleasant."   
  
After reloading, I realized that there was something wrong. Moro stood, fixated on a spot farter into the desert that I could see. There's some one there, stated Moro, still gazing into the distance. Although I had no clue why she cared or why I hadn't picked up my pack and gotten ready to finish out trek to the NCR, I walked up to her and looked out into the distance where she was looking.   
  
"Have any clue why there is one lone person standing staring at us in the middle of the desert?" I asked, almost sarcastically. After a moment of contemplation, I realized that he was probably the man we were supposed to meet. After all, who could miss a Deathclaw and a woman that weren't attacking each other?   
  
Looks like a tribal. Could be our mystery man, Moro informed me, only adding to the suspicion that we think alike.   
  
"I was thinking the same thing." Finally, I turned, grabbed my overly heavy pack, and set off.   
  
***   
  
His burly, tough build and deep chestnut skin showed through his leather ensemble. He was obviously the man we were looking for. Dark brown hair topped the stern but warm face. Glancing up at Moro, he almost hid back in fear. Most of the wasteland had a great fear of Deathclaws. All for a good cause, of course. Because of their ridges of spikes and horns and their knack for mischief, catching sight of one of their giant claws, would mean instant death of either fear or sighting from the deadly creature that normally traveled in a pack.   
  
"You must be Dakarri. I'm Kerosher. My grandfather said that you would need my assistance here. I can see why," introduced the tribal guide.   
  
"Thanks, I think," I replied, looking over at Moro who was only a few feet away from me. "Yes, I am Dakarri. What is it exactly that I need to do here at NCR?"   
  
"Well, since the original leader of the New California Republic, Tandi, was overthrown by a man named Harrison. Since then, no one really listened to anything that came from the offices or anything that had to do with politics for that matter unless it was within their own town or tribe."   
  
Why would anyone want or care about politics? genuinely asked Moro. Because no one really cared about what happened in the NCR in the Boneyard, we really didn't know much about what happened in politics.   
  
"And what do I have to do with this?" in injured.   
  
"Well, in order to get to the first person that grandfather wants you to find, you must overthrow him. In short, you must find a way to take over the republic."   
  
Isn't that comforting, I thought to myself. After being briefed, I told Moro to wait for me about four miles out of town in a set of caves that Kerosher had told us that the tribe owned. With that I set out, alone.   
  
***   
  
Rustic colored archways towered over the entries of the outer wall of the once beautiful but now dark city. It was obvious that the town had not been cared for in a few years. Passers on the street, after giving me funny looks, just shook their heads and looked away. I don't know if it was because the town was in such a horrible downfall or because all of my desert camouflage had been ripped and worn into nothing more than rages. Luckily, I had gotten some clothes from the tribals. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.   
  
Why didn't he ask me to go through the trial? The thought hadn't crossed my mind until just now. It stumped me that Kensaun hadn't asked me to endure the test. Instead I was here, looking for people to take it. What if this is the test?   
  
Just then, I realized that I had almost reached the core of the town. There was only one problem, there was a large, military-like gate protecting the inner political sanctum from the prying eyes of the public. This sucks.   
  
Unexpectedly, a tap on my shoulder caused me to whirl around only to see a rather short man wearing rather worn attire with a black bandana tied messily around his forehead, and an eye patch, more than likely symbolic, affixed to his right eye.   
  
"Can I help you?" I asked bluntly, but almost politely.   
  
"No. But I bet I can help you," he began. "You want in right? Well you can't just waltz up. You need ID tags."   
  
"I'm sorry, but… Never mind. Why does that mean that I need you? Oh, wait, let me guess, you have tags."   
  
"Bingo! Only two thousand caps a piece! It's a real bargain!" he squawked.   
  
"Two-thousand! I can buy this whole place for less!" I resented, repulsed that he would want that much for something like that.   
  
"I guess you don't really want in then. It's fine with me, I'll just take my business elsewhere," he bluffed.   
  
"Fine I'll pay one-thousand five-hundred. That sounds pretty reasonable," I suggested.   
  
"One-eighty. Then I'll do it," he confronted.   
  
"Fine. One-eighty. Here." I agreed, reaching into my pocket. After pulling out about seven sacks of caps and the few that I had in my pocket, He handed me one well-pressed and neat access card.   
  
"Nice doin' business with you. Might I recommend that you wear something, well, nicer, clothes, before going in," he commented. Realizing that it was, in fact, getting late, so I figured that I could go in after breakfast tomorrow. Moro could fend for herself for a day.   
  
After putting the tag safely away in my pack, I looked for the nearest place that I could sleep. Luckily, like most cities, NCR had an inn that was almost empty. I could sleep there and go to the interior of town tomorrow.   
  
With that, I hid my pack next to me in the rather cozy king-sized bed and I fell asleep… 


	3. Nightmares

Chapter 3:  
Nightmares  
  
Endless green fields… My mind was filled with wonder as my eyes opened to a world only imagined by the wildest of dreamers. Ever flowing emerald fields and lush green trees covering endless rolling hills. It's not like we would ever see this. In the distance, a flock of birds flew, peacefully. That's what's wrong… It's so peaceful. The clear blue skies and the white clouds towered comfortably above my head. But… How? In the back of my mind, and image of my family crept forward through my peaceful state. No… This is for them… I will bring this to the world… Only for you… Suddenly, the image of Klain, ravening the Boneyard with his minions, flashed before my eyes, briefly replacing the gentle image of my evergreen surroundings. In the blink of an eye, my dream of green and Kelly turned to a raging firestorm. Back into the fire… As I spun around to find a way to get out, through the flames, I made out a large shape. Quickly, the distance between us closed. The closer it came, the more I could make out of it. Moro! Strangely, there was no response. Moro? Are you all right? There was no response. Something was wrong. Through the flames, I noticed a movement that I had never seen from her. Her mouth was moving. She was trying to tell me something.  
  
With a jolt, I shot out of my covers. A comfortable feeling passed through me when I reached under my covers and grabbed the holster on my hip. I had to get to her. Wirily, I crawled out of bed and grabbed my pack. That night I had been so tired I had slept in my clothes. My dream had made no room for excuses for me not to go find Moro. Carefully, I dug through my pack to find food and, strangely, I found none. I was afraid something like that would happen in a city like this. Luckily, whoever it was that stole my food wasn't smart enough to take my caps so I could go and buy some food. With my stomach growling, I walked to the front desk, paid the man at the counter and left.  
  
On my way down the street, the first place I ran into that looked like it sold food was a place boldly titled: "Bob's Iguana on a Stick." Desperate for anything that I could eat I walked up to the counter. An interesting aroma filled the air. Suddenly, from inside the tent that stood right behind the counter, a rather large man emerged.  
  
"Can I help you?" asked the burley man. As if to look a little more interested in my business, he leaned his arm over the counter and placed all of his weight on it.  
  
"Um… Yeah. How much for one of those iguanas?" I asked, hoping that they were at least decent.  
  
"Fifteen caps," the man replied, pointing at a sign that was pinned on the flap of the tent. Not only was the sign worn, but also the writing on it looked as if the man had written it in blood.   
  
"Alright…" I reached into my pack and grabbed my caps and counted fifteen. "I'll take one." With a grin on his face, the man reached under the counter and brought up an odd looking piece of food. Slowly, I set my caps on the counter.  
  
"Here you go," he told me as he handed me the stick. With a polite grin I took the iguana and walked away. Cautiously, I examined the strange piece of food, hoping that the still whole iguana wouldn't jump off the stick and attack me. Although the iguana took up most of the stick, a few pieces of meat that I couldn't recognize were on either end. Tenderly, I pulled off one of the pieces of meat on the end. Curiously, I took the meat and put it in my mouth. A rather salty taste mixed with an odd marinade flooded me mouth. Reminding myself that I needed to eat, I chewed and swallowed the piece, and then I repeated the same process with the rest of it. Even though it wasn't filling, it was better than going with an empty stomach. Now it was time to get down to business.  
  
What could have happened? I thought to myself as I made my way to the entrance to the city. The tribals were there to protect her. I quickly fought back the thoughts that ran through my worried mind. We shall see what we shall see.  
  
***  
  
Tanned and cracked landscape expanded all around me with the only traces of the town that I just left behind was a slight shadow of a few buildings. On the horizon was the edge of a plateau that was cut into with a large-mouthed cave. Squinting, I looked to see if Kerosher and his fellow tribesmen were anywhere in sight. No sign of them. Quickly, I reached for my pistol. My heart pounded in my chest.  
  
"Hello?" I hollered, hoping that there would be a response. "Hello?" There was still no response. Where are you Moro? Dreading what I might find inside, I pushed myself further on to the entrance to the cave. A sharp breath escaped me when the scene inside the cave unfolded before me. Eight bodies lay about the cave, seven looked like tribals, the other, I couldn't tell. I walked up to the nearest body of a man, stretched out on the ground. Gloomy shadows swirled around my hope and diminished all light when I looked at the bullet wound in his chest. Wanting to look no further, I stood up and almost turned and ran. Only one tie kept me here, Moro. Striving to find some string of a clue, I went to the unidentifiable body on the ground five feet or so from the tribals. As I walked forward, I saw that he was wearing armor. His sleekly shaved head was back against the cave floor making the few tattoos and scars on his cheeks visible. Three visible slashes shown across his stomach. One creature alone could make those marks, a Deathclaw. Moro had been here.  
  
Searching, I sat for a moment, pondering on what I should do next. Possibilities and dead-ends formed in my mind. The plan had to be flawless. Suddenly, a thought struck me like a bolt of lightening. Although I had only seen it done once by the resistance back in the Boneyard, scavenging through the dead seemed to be a rewarding task. When I thought about it, I clenched my stomach. First, I looked at my tribal garmets. Then, I looked at the armor. After that, I looked back at my clothes. Teal streaks flooded over a rough leather top with a leather pair of pants, both a desert shade of brown.. Silver spikes extended from a solid metal surface in the armor. It looked heavy. Dents scattered all along the shoulder plating. It can stand bullets. More wishfully now, I looked at the armor. Something inside me made the decision for me. Slowly, I got up and walked over to him.  
  
On my approach, I noticed something. In the blood, was something that made my already queasy state increase. His intestines were on the ground, three feet away. Disgusted, I turned and almost retreated, but the armor was there and I wasn't about to pass up a chance for a slight bit more protection than my jacket. Shaking, I turned back to the gruesome task. Instead of looking at the mess on the ground, I averted my eyes to the armor. There was a huge section missing where the slashes were.  
  
"This is not gong to work," I mused to myself as I looked at the corpse, finally giving in to the fact that it was worthless without the stomach plating anyways. "Where did you go?" With a sigh, I leaned back on the rough cave wall. What am I going to do now? Wonder and confusion flooded through me as I traced and re-traced and back traced every possibility. Through all this, I came up with a conclusion, I was going to return to the tribals and get more information. Whoever did this, whoever this man worked for, was going to pay.  
  
***  
  
"Who took her?" I exclaimed as I paraded into camp, soon greeted by Kensaun. "The cave, your so called 'safe house'… Well it's not so safe. They killed all your people and I don't know where Moro is. Now tell me, is that normal 'safe house' procedure?"  
  
Quickly, he tried to hush me. "Let us go to my tent. We don't want to alert the others." Hastily, I made a move for the tent, the wise elder, close behind. Finally, we reached the tent, he entered first, lifting the flap for me. Inside, nothing had changed, I could even see my footprints in to dirt outside. "Now, what is on your mind child?"  
  
"Your grandson and his followers, who said they would protect Moro. When I woke up this morning, I went to see how she was doing, and no one was there. A few bodies were scattered on the ground," I was a raging firestorm. How could they have been protecting her... They couldn't even protect themselves.  
  
"Slow yorself. I'm sure that she couldn't have gone far. Her-"  
  
"Far? All there is is desert out here! The would have had to have gone far to hide a creature such as Moro. So don't tell me that they couldn't have gone far!"  
  
"Alright. How many bodies were there?"  
  
"Three were your men and one was some metal plated, tatooed, guy who Moro killed."  
  
"That means that they took two others," he concluded.  
  
"'They?' Who is this 'they?'" I pushed for answers.  
  
"'They' are the slavers that take my people and unsuspecting travelers and turn them into profit," he scorned.  
  
"Great... Slavers." The word rolled around in my mouth then went down into my stomach, leaving a bitter after-taste. Slavers... People used to talk about them in the Boneyard. They travel in packs and hunt like dogs. Snapping back to the problem, I remembered a subject that had been left in the back of my mind since my odd dream this morning. "Not to change the subject, but why didn't you ask me to take the trial for the 'chosen one?'"  
  
"I didn't ask you, because you didn't seem intent on it, but since you are, do you want to go throught the trials?"  
  
"I would if we could just make the whole thing with Moro disappear, but that can't happen. What do you think they will do to her? Does she have a chace?" Moro, what's happening?  
  
"If it would be any comfort, I can get some of my worriors to begin collecting information on the different slaver gangs around the area of the New California Republic."  
  
"That would be helpful. What can I do to help in the meantime?" I inquired.  
  
"Nothing really. You can go though with the trials."  
  
***  
  
Clad in my tribal garments, I trudged to the front of a massive stone temple. Looming over me was the cliffs that lead Moro and I to the encampment in the first place. They built it into the cliffs… Very nice. White markings, such as the ones decorating the cliff faces, were accenting the temple. Parts of it looked as if they were almost ready to fall right off the wall. Framed by a darker stone than the rest of it, the door stood many feet taller than me. Compared to the grandeur of the temple, I felt insignificant. Go thorough the doors and come out the other end, he says. That doesn't seem too hard. At that thought, I grinned and trudged forward to the grand doors.  
  
Without any warning, the doors opened. A loud thud echoed down a long corridor as dust rose from the gust of wind that the hallway released. One step at a time, I walked into some sort of catacomb. Okay… now what? Before another moment passed, a pebble moved from the side of me. As I spun to meet my opponent, I was met by a near miss by an oversized scorpion's tail. Trying to collect myself, I jumped to my right, pulling out my pistol and taking aim at its head. Before it had another chance to attack, I fired off two shots, both hitting their marks perfectly. When my feet hit the ground, the scorpion's body fell limp and collapsed to the floor.  
  
Let's not wait around to see what's next. Mustering up as much energy as I could, I sprinted down the hallway. At the end of the hallway, another grand set of doors stood tall. Next to it was a box. Curious to it's contents, I looked inside of the chest. Dust rose into my eyes as the lid flew open. "Nothing," I whispered to myself as I closed the lid. Hoping that it was the exit, I walked up to the doors. Just as the first ones did, these doors slid open easily. Inside was not the exit, but a room with three pillars with fire burning on them. From the darkest corner of the room, a man emerged.  
  
"Hello, Dakarri. I am your final challenge," the tribal man said.  
  
"You mean I have to kill you?" The thought of killing another person for a test didn't exactly cross my mind as civil.  
  
"No, we will fight, but not to death, to the ground," informed the man. "No weapons."  
  
"Okay… That makes sense." Waiting for no more pleasantries pass between us, I came back in a fighting sort of stance. Just the same, the man positioned himself. Another gust of wind passed through the room. With my hands raised, I stood in waiting for a moment. Mimicking me, he made no move. You want to play it that way do you? You asked for it! Swiftly, I took three rapid steps towards him. Without any hesitation, he threw a paralyzing punch at me. Luckily, I narrowly escaped from impending doom. In an attempt to retaliate, I went in to kick him in the head, again, a miss. This time, he meant business.  
  
Almost perfectly, he jabbed right at my chin. To my unpleasant surprise, the attack hit it's mark. I stumbled back a few steps, thus leaving him the opportunity to strike again. Taking advantage of my disadvantage, he sent me flying onto my back with a smooth and solid kick. Ouch.  
  
Civilly, he approached me and offered me a hand. "You are a worthy contender, but I'm sorry, you aren't strong enough." The thought of weakness brought me back to the situation at hand. Moro!  
  
***  
  
After rushing out of the exit, I found myself surrounded by the night. Bright stars and the ever-glowing moon illuminated the cobalt sky. What happened to you Moro? I need you here now, more than ever. Failure lingers a long time in a cloud of sadness. I need your help on this one. I don't know the next turn, I can't predict them anymore. With sadness weighing heavily on me, I climbed up the cliffs back up to the settlement. On the top, I was met by a younger boy.  
  
"You are Dakarri?" The curiosity rose in his voice, he couldn't have been any older than eight, but he looked so ready for anything.  
  
"Yes." I could feel a warm smile cross my face.  
  
"The elder, Kensaun, told me to find you a place to stay and that he will speak to you in the morning," he informed me matter-of-factly. "I set up a new tent for you." Pride twinkled in his eyes. Everything in this boy's life was worn on his sleeve, or rather the band worn where there would be one.  
  
"Thank you," I graciously replied. A bed… that sounds nice. "What's your name?"  
  
"Serm. My father is a great warrior. He's out by the New California Republic. He said he would be back in a few days." My heart sank. If he was one of those whom I found dead on the floor of the cave, I wouldn't be able to bear it.  
  
"Thanks, Serm." Still just as exuberant as he was a few moments, although my joy had left me, he guided me to a tent placed by center of the village. Warmth flooded out of the open flap as he opened it. A quaint fire burnt within, the smoke flooding out through a hole neatly placed in the top of the large tent. To one side, there was a pile of blankets and pelts from cattle.  
  
"Come in!" he welcomed. Without me knowing, he had entered.  
  
"It's great! Thank you again, Serm." Letting the tent flap close behind me, I entered the tan room. All of my things had been brought in from where I had left them up at Kensaun's tent.  
  
After looking around one more time, he walked over to the exit. "Good night, Dakarri."  
  
"Good night, Serm." At that, he left. Tired, I laid back on the pile of blankets. I swear I will find you Moro. 


End file.
